Dear Parents and Caregivers

Christmas Concert

What a wonderful Christmas Concert last Friday evening. Thank you Miss Robinson for preparing the students during Music lessons and to all the Teachers for assisting with extra practices. Thank you to all the staff leading up to, during and after the concert who ensured it ran so smoothly. It was great to see such a huge crowd of parents/caregivers, grandparents and other family and friends. Thank you to our Student Arts Team for your entertaining compering throughout the evening. A huge well done to all our students, you were all AMAZING! Our Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten Christmas concerts were also just as amazing over the last week!

Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal

Thank you to everyone who has brought in items for our St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Thank you to the Mini Vinnies Team and Miss McGovern for promoting St Vincent de Paul. In this season of Advent, we remember the importance of the gift of giving and providing for the less fortunate.

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of St Helena’s Catholic Primary School this year. Thank you to the parents and caregivers that have helped out in different ways. Whether in the canteen, library, classrooms, The Arts and sporting events, etc. It is very much appreciated! We continue to strive to work together at St Helena’s to promote a strong home/school partnership. We continue to encourage all our parents and caregivers to get involved around the School in 2025 to help build and foster a sense of community as we partner together on your child/ren's learning journey.

To all our students, thank you for your efforts and sharing your talents with us this year. It has been wonderful to see you grow as individuals as the year has progressed. We continue to encourage all students to make the most of the opportunities that the new year will bring!

Farewell Year 6

Fr Bona celebrated a lovely Mass on Tuesday evening with our Graduating Year 6 Class of 2024 and their families and staff of St Helena's. We congratulate and wish all our Year 6 students all the best as they commence their Secondary journey in 2025. Thank you Mrs Bukara, Miss Dwyer and Mr Vine for preparing the Mass and coordinating all the activities this week for our Year 6 students, in their final week at St Helena's. Thank you also to Jess Nancarrow for coordinating the Year 6 Breakfast on Monday as part of the P&F tradition, with support from Jessica Peacock.

We wish our students and families leaving us at the end of this year all the best for the future and thank you for being a part of the St Helena’s Catholic Primary School community.

Catholic School Advisory Council (CSAC) and P&F Committee in 2025

At the Annual Community Meeting with the Catholic School Advisory Council and Parents and Friends on Thursday 25 November, I took the opportunity to thank our 2024 School Advisory Council members and P&F Committee for their efforts in 2024. We farewelled and thanked Mitch Lohrentz and Barbara Stanley for their time and commitment over the years on the School Advisory Council, as they both finish up this year. We welcomed Jade Martelletti onto the School Advisory Council for 2025.

We thanked and farewelled our outgoing P&F Committee members, Netsai Mubonwa, Tania Laurenco, Nadia Hoare and Aimee Miller for their time and efforts this year too. Our Parents and Friends Committee welcome Stacey Worthington onto the committee. Thank you to all those returning and are new who have put their hand up on the School Advisory Council or on the P&F Committee for 2025. We would love to have a couple more parents/caregivers join our P&F Committee in 2025, please reach out to me if you are interested.

CSAC 2025

Kodie Adams, Lual Garang, Tim Griffiths, Jade Martelletti, Tara Palm

Santino Giancono, Fr Bona, Christine Sheen, Melissa Myles and Luke Vine

P&F Committee 2025

Jessica Murphy, Jessica Nancarrow and Stacey Worthington

Staffing

We are very fortunate to have such a committed and hard working staff at St Helena’s. Thank you, once again to all our Teachers, Education Assistants, Support Staff, Administration Staff and Leadership Team for all that you have done to contribute to the School and the students entrusted in our care. Your commitment to your vocation and the students at St Helena's is very much appreciated!

At the end of this year we will be farewelling Ms Tamara Ellenbrook, Mr Lewis Diep, Miss Bianca Hearn, Mr Scott Whiteley, Miss Grace Dwyer, Miss Claire Robinson, Mrs Jade Martelletti, Miss Hannah Chomiak, Miss Tahlia Chomiak and Miss Megan Sleap. We will also be farewelling Miss Gabriella Panaia and Mrs Kerry Krause who will not be returning from leave at the end of the year. I thank all of these staff members for their contribution to St Helena’s Catholic Primary School over their time with us and wish them all the very best for their future endeavours both professionally and personally. Mrs Cat Russell will be on leave and Mrs Audrey Clancy will return to being on Parental Leave in 2025.

In the new year, the School welcomes a number of new students, families and staff to St Helena’s. The Staff List for 2025 can be found in the Staffing section of this final eNewsletter for the year. In 2025 we look forward to welcoming to the Staff Team of St Helena’s Catholic Primary School the following new members - Ms Rebecca Mennie, Miss Sharna McKinlay, Miss Briana Alsop, Miss Alix Fitzgerald, Miss Kaylene Bederson, Ms Sarah Spencer and Mr Hector Navarro. We also welcome back Mrs Katie Bogdanich and Mrs Tracy Turpin.

Awards Presentation & Thanksgiving Mass

Awards Assembly - Thursday 5 December @ 8:30am

Presenting the ‘Something Beautiful for God’ Christian Citizenship Award and the Academic Endeavour Award to two students from each class from Kindergarten to Year 5.

Thanksgiving Mass - Friday 6 December - @ 11:15am

We will be coming together for the last time as a school community in 2024 to thank God for all our blessings this year at St Helena’s Catholic Primary School. At the conclusion of Mass we will be announcing our 2025 Year 6 School Leaders. All Welcome!

Dancing into the Holidays...

Our students enjoyed a Silent Disco in the Music Room today. It was clear how much fun was being had as everyone was dancing their way towards the holidays! Thank you Mrs Elise Johnson (Social Worker) and Rhiannon Watson (Wellbeing Coordinator) for organising the headphones and planning and coordinating the Silent Disco.

Safe & Happy Holidays!

I wish all in our St Helena's School community a safe and very happy and holy Christmas. Enjoy family and friends time over the holidays. See you back in the New Year!

At St Helena's, we are a Christ-centred and a child-focused community,

always striving to do Something Beautiful for God.

"What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot.
But together we can do something beautiful for God." Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Peace & Happy Days!

Santino Giancono

Principal